Since Sunday, October 1, 2006, the Baltimore Museum of Art and the older Walters Art Museum (formerly Walters Art Gallery), have had free admission year-round as a result of grants given by Baltimore City and Baltimore County, excepting for special exhibitions.[1]

The Baltimore Museum of Art is the site of Gertrude's Restaurant, owned and operated by chef John Shields.

In February 1904 a major fire destroyed much of the central part of the downtown business district of the city of Baltimore. In response, the municipal government established a City-Wide Congress to develop a master plan for the city's recovery and future growth and development. The congress, headed by Dr. A.R.L. Dohme, decided among other things that a major deficiency of the city was the lack of an art museum. This decision led to the formation of an eighteen-person Committee on the Art Museum led by art dealer and industrialist Henry H. Wiegand as the Chairman. Ten years later, on November 16, 1914, the founders were incorporated.

William-Sergeant Kendall's painting "Mischief", donated by Dr. Dohme, was the first work of art accessioned by the new museum. Without a permanent site, the Peabody Institute agreed to hold the museum's collection until a home was found. The group did for his father William T. Walters (1820-1894), famed collections of art. He then refused, although seventeen years later at his death, he left his gallery, adjoining family mansion on West Mount Vernon \different from Walters' more traditional preference toward Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and they wished to have a city showcase more contemporary and revolutionary styles of artistic expression then coming into vogue, the committee began planning a permanent home for the museum.

In 1916, they purchased a building on the southwest corner of North Charles and West Biddle Streets and employed an architect to remodel it, but it was never occupied. The group had then decided in 1915 to locate the museum permanently in the Wyman Park area, west of the then named Peabody Heights, (later Charles Village) neighborhood, and by 1917 they had received a promise from The Johns Hopkins University for the land further south of the new Georgian Revival architecture-Federal styled campus they were in the process of moving to, near the old Homewood Mansion of 1800 and the later Italianate style mansion of "Wyman Villa" of a Hopkins donor and trustee, William Wyman, leaving their downtown site at North Howard Street and West Centre, Little Ross and West Monument Streets it had occupied since 1876. Before moving into its permanent home by 1929, however, the Museum temporarily moved to the former home of their prime benefactor and foundress, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, (1857-1915) and her former mansion at 101 West Monument Street, on the southwest corner with Cathedral Street, (facing West Mount Vernon Place and the Washington Monument), in July 1922. Miss Garrett, a famous philanthropist in her own right, (who also further endowed the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine enabling it to open in 1893 joining the University (1876) and the Hospital (1889) with her special requirement that it be a co-educational medical college, as part of merchant and philanthropist Johns Hopkins, (1795-1873), legacies). Miss Garrett was the only daughter of the famous Civil War-era President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, John Work Garrett, (1820-1884), a scion of the noted Robert Garrett banking firm in the city. The house was offered by Miss M. Cary as a home for the "collections" and a meeting place for the board of trustees. The old Garrett mansion was acquired in 1925 by the group of art enthusiasts who bought the property for the purpose of keeping museum intact. The Museum offered accommodations to art associations and a hall for meetings despite having limited space.

Meanwhile, back at Wyman Park, the architect John Russell Pope, (1874-1937), was engaged to design the museum's permanent home, and the cornerstone was laid on October 20, 1927, facing the future Art Museum Drive, running diagonally from North Charles Street. The systems engineering for the building's original design was completed by Henry Adams, noted local mechanical engineer. The building consists of three floors and includes several rooms that were reconstructed and are replicated from six old Maryland historic houses before their loss or razing.[2] The building phase was marked by controversy over its location, cost, and the quality of workmanship, but on April 19, 1929, it opened on schedule without much fanfare. The first visitors were greeted by Rodin's"The Thinker" in the Sculpture Court and most of the objects on display were lent by Baltimore and Maryland collectors. An average of 584 visitors attended the museum each day during the first two months of its opening. When the Museum opened in 1929, the library was on the ground floor, equipped with shelves to house several thousand volumes, reading tables, and chairs. In 1983, the Library was reinstalled in its current location, on the third floor of the Cone Wing.[3]

The "Eltonhead Manor Room" is one of six rooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art that replicates a historic Maryland house.

Many of the objects lent to the museum when it opened were eventually donated to The Baltimore Museum of Art. Among the generous donors who have shaped the museum's collection are Blanche Adler, Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone, Jacob Epstein, Edward J. Gallagher, Jr., John W. and Robert Garrett, Mary Frick Jacobs, Ryda H. and Robert H. Levi, Saidie Adler May, Dorothy McIlvain Scott, Elsie C. Woodward, and Alan and Janet Wurtzburger. The growing collection is reflected in the three major expansions that occurred in the 1950s: the Saidie A. May Wing in 1950, the Woodward Wing in 1956, and the Cone Wing in 1957. The three additions were all designed by local architects Wrenn, Lewis and Jencks to harmonize with the original Pope Building.

Today, The Baltimore Museum of Art's collection includes more than 90,000 objects, making it the largest art museum in Maryland. It is governed by a private Board of Trustees and receives funding from the City of Baltimore, surrounding suburban counties: (Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Harford, Carroll, Howard and Frederick Counties), the State of Maryland, and various corporations and foundations, federal agencies, individual Trustees, and many private citizens. The Baltimore Museum of Art welcomes more than 200,000 visitors annually. In addition to its impressive art collection, it organizes and hosts traveling exhibitions and serves as a major arts center through its programs.

Most recently, the first phase of the B.M.A.'s $28 million multi-year renovation was completed with the reopening of "Contemporary Wing" in November 2012. The next phase of the renovation encompassing the "American Wing", galleries for African and Asian art, a new learning and creativity center, and lobby and shop has already begun.

The B.M.A. announced a series of reopenings that will revitalize the visitor experience of the museum and its outstanding collections. The next milestone of the multi-year renovation is the reopening of the historic Merrick Entrance, Dorothy McIlvain Scott American Wing, and East Wing Lobby and Zamoiski Entrance in Fall 2014 to celebrate the museum’s 100th anniversary. The BMA also announced the expansion of its renovation plans for the first floor of the building to include expanded galleries for its African and Asian art collections and an exciting new learning and creativity center for visitors of all ages. The galleries for the African and Asian art collections and the learning and creativity center are expected to be completed by late Spring 2015.

The first phase of the B.M.A.’s ambitious renovation was completed in November 2012 with the successful reopening of the "Contemporary Wing". The current phase encompasses the first and second floors of the B.M.A.’s original 1929 building designed by the acclaimed American architect John Russell Pope, the 1982 "East Wing" Lobby and Zamoiski Entrance designed by Bower, Lewis & Thrower, and critically important upgrades to the museum’s infrastructure. The architect for this phase of the renovation is the Baltimore-based architecture firm Ziger/Snead. Construction is being completed by Whiting-Turner Contracting Company of Towson, Maryland, and the project manager is Synthesis, Inc., of Columbia, Maryland.

The $28 million budget for the renovation includes $6.5 million for the first phase—"Contemporary Wing", two new roofs, and a new fire suppression system. The B.M.A. has already raised $21.3 million to support the renovation through the "In a New Light" philanthropic campaign, including $11.25 million in capital contributions from the State of Maryland and $2.95 million from the City of Baltimore.

"Merrick Entrance" — The reopening of the original entrance to the B.M.A.’s John Russell Pope-designed building heralds the museum’s goal to open its doors and provide more welcoming and memorable art experiences throughout the facility. Closed to the public since 1982, the newly reopened threshold establishes the Museum’s terrace steps as a community gathering place.

"Dorothy McIlvain Scott American Wing" — Considered the B.M.A.’s largest work of art, the first Pope-designed museum building will be revitalized with improvements that include reinstalling the original chandeliers and refurbishing the terrazzo floors. Nine adjacent galleries will feature a chronological presentation of hundreds of masterworks from the museum’s expansive holdings of American fine and decorative arts, considered one of the finest on the East Coast. Dedicated areas will showcase Maryland’s influence in art, architecture, decoration, and collecting, as well as a selection of stunning glass works by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

"East Wing Lobby and Zamoiski Entrance" — A complete renovation of the museum’s east entry will create a more open and expansive central gathering place for visitors. Improvements include the relocation of the main stair to create a more inviting connection with the second floor, a gracefully curved wall that delineates the new retail space, and a lighter and more modern material palette for all lobby surfaces. Enhanced visitor amenities include an expanded BMA Shop, more restrooms, and additional seating.

"Wurtzburger African Art Gallery" — The gallery for the BMA’s celebrated African art collection will be relocated to the center of the building on the first floor of the museum and expanded to more than three times its former space. The new presentation of the museum’s African art collection will include more than 100 objects in changing and thematic displays that will encourage visitors to appreciate the complexity and diversity of African art and cultures.

"Asian Art Galleries" — Two new galleries on the first floor of the museum, including the relocated Levy Gallery, will enlarge and enhance the display of approximately 160 highlights from the BMA’s collection of Asian art, including objects from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and the Near East.

"Learning and Creativity Center" — A new 5,000-square-foot space will transform the visitor experience through a combination of art, technology, interpretation, hands-on art-making, and innovative programs that will inspire visitors of all ages. Located adjacent to the renovated East Wing Lobby and Zamoiski Entrance, the center will include five interrelated areas beginning with a thematic interactive exhibition gallery that invites visitors to encounter works from the collection from different time periods, cultures, and media. Other areas include a community commons, an art-making studio, a research and learning space for docents, and a revitalized entrance for school tours.

The BMA was one of the first museum's in the United States to obtain a collection of African Art. A large part of the collection was donated by Janet and Alan Wurtzburger in 1954. The collection contains more than 2,000 objects that span from ancient Egypt to contemporary Zimbabwe and includes works from many other cultures including Bamana, Yoruba, Kuba, Ndebele, and others. The collection includes many different forms of art including headdresses, masks, figures, royal staffs, textiles, jewelry, ceremonial weapons, and pottery. Several of the pieces are known for their use in royal courts, performances, and religious contexts, and many are internationally known.

The BMA has one of the best collections of American Art in the world with works spanning from the colonial era to the late 20th century. The exhibit contains American paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. The museum contains several works of Art from the Baltimore area including portraiture by Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, and other members of the renowned Peale family; silver from Baltimore's prominent silver manufacturing company Samuel Kirk & Son; American Baltimore album quilts; and painted furniture by John Finlay and Hugh Finlay of Baltimore.

The BMA has a long and distinguished record of collecting works by African-American artists that began in 1939 with one of the first exhibitions of African-American art in the country. This collection has grown substantially in recent years with the addition of more than 50 historical and contemporary works. Joshua Johnson, Jacob Lawrence, Edmonia Lewis, Horace Pippin, and Henry Ossawa Tanner are included among the 19th- and 20th-century African-American artists.

The BMA’s holdings of American decorative arts include an extensive furniture collection that represents the major historic cabinetmaking centers of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Many of these objects came from Miss Dorothy McIlvain Scott, a generous Baltimore philanthropist and collector.

A remarkable gift in 1933 by Mrs. Miles White, Jr. of over 200 stunning pieces of Maryland silver formed the nucleus of an impressive silver collection that now embraces objects by leading 18th- and early 19th-century silversmiths in Annapolis and Baltimore, as well as elegant examples of early English silver owned by Maryland families during the Federal era. Among them is the Annapolis Subscription Plate, made by Annapolis silver smith John Inch and the oldest surviving silver object made in Maryland. Later masterworks by artists from Louis Comfort Tiffany to Georg Jensen are also on view.

Other notable aspects of the decorative arts collection include a rare set of five clerestory windows and two brilliant mosaic-clad architectural columns that represent Tiffany's lasting contribution to 20th-century ornament. Period rooms from six historic Maryland houses, along with architectural elements from other historic buildings, illustrate town and country building styles from the 18th and 19th centuries, and a dozen miniature rooms made by Chicago miniaturist Eugene Kupjack invite scrutiny of a variety of decorative styles at close range.

The BMA exhibits a distinguished collection of Antioch mosaics, the result of its participation in excavations of this ancient city, known today as Antakya in southeastern Turkey, near the border of Syria.

With the support of BMA Trustee Robert Garrett, The Baltimore Museum of Art joined the Musées Nationaux de France, Worcester Art Museum, and Princeton University during the excavations of 1932 to 1939, discovering 300 magnificent mosaic pavements in and around the lost city. The BMA received some of the finest mosaics from the excavation, totaling 34 pavements, 28 of which are on display in the Museum’s sunlit atrium court.

Discovered in the affluent suburb of Daphne and the nearby port city of Seleucia Pieria, the mosaics date from the days of the emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D. to the Christian empire of Justinian in the 6th century, bridging the Classical world and the early Middle Ages. The mosaics illustrate how the classical art of Greece and Rome evolved into the art of the early Christian era and tell the story of how people lived in this ancient city prior to its destruction by catastrophic earthquakes in 526 and 528 A.D. The mosaics are notable for their grand scale and elaborately patterned borders, and the brilliance of their decorative and naturalistic effects.

A Mexican stone waist belt in the form of a saurian monster (6th–10th-century).

This collection contains works from 59 distinct artistic traditions from Aztec and Maya of Mesoamerica, Chimú and Muisca of AndeanSouth America, and Nicoya and Atlantic Watershed of Costa Rica. The collection includes works from 2500 BC to AD 1521. The core collection of 120 objects was given to the museum by Alan Wurtzburger in 1958, which significantly expanded the scope of the existing collection and provided momentum for a traveling exhibition of Peruvian ceramics titled Myths of Ancient Peru (1969).

The collection is particularly admired for its West Mexico ceramics, including an important Nayarit house model and an enthroned chief. Also on display is a unique assemblage of 23 figures in dance regalia which celebrates ancient performance and highlights the diversity of Colima art.

Other notable pieces include a finely worked serpentine figure of Olmec mastery, elegant portrayals of Maya and Aztec noblewomen showcasing the integral roles women played in the social, political, economic, and spiritual realms of society, and miniature gold votives in the Muisca tradition.

This exhibit includes artwork from several cultural traditions of the Pacific Islands including those of Melanesia and Polynesia. Works in collection include a cross section of objects such as jewelry, ornaments, and tapa cloths.

Other highlights of the collection include a breast ornament embellished with small birds and stars that figured as insignia of prestige for the Tonga of the Fiji Islands. Featuring whale ivory and pearl shell design, it is recognized as one of the largest of its kind.

The museum's Asian art collection includes works from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and the Near East. The collection is particularly known for its Chinese ceramics, with a particular depth in mortuary wares from the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and utilitarian stonewares from the 11th through the 13th centuries. Although more than 1,000 objects are comprised by this collection, due to limited space only a portion of the pieces are on display at one time. Works are on view in rotating installations in the museum's Julius Levy Memorial Gallery.

Some notable works in the collection include the life-sized early-15th-century bronze Guanyin, known widely as "Goddess of Mercy"; the robust figure of a horse from a Han dynasty tomb; a 39-piece mortuary retinue, a rare example of the quantities of clay figures that were placed in tombs during the early Tang dynasty; and an outstanding foliate-shaped brush washer that represents the mastery of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Asian art is also represented in other areas of the museum's collection, including 475 Japanese prints and 1,000 textiles from across Asia.

The European Art collection at the BMA contains works from the 15th through 19th centuries. Most of the collection was formed through generous donations made by private citicens of the city of Baltimore, notably Mary Frick Jacobs, George A. Lucas, and Jacob Epstein. The collection contains a large selection of 19th-century French art including more than 140 bronze animal sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye and several paintings by Barbizon artists such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and impressionist Camille Pissarro. The collection also includes a wide array of decorative arts, including jeweled snuffboxes, porcelain, and silver. The museum also exhibits a large collection of works on paper from the 15th through the 19th century.

Highlights of the European art exhibit include Sir Anthony van Dyck's Rinaldo and Armida (1629) which was commissioned by King Charles I of England. It is considered one of the world’s finest paintings by the artist. Other masterworks of northern European and French art include Frans Hals’ portrait Dorothea Berck (1644), Rembrandt van Rijn’s painting of his son Titus (1660), Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin’s portrayal of a lovely maiden tossing a ball in The Game of Knucklebones (c. 1734), and French court portraitist Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s exotic Princess Anna Alexandrovna Galitzin (c. 1797). Medieval and Renaissance works include a 14th-century Burgundian Virgin and Child carved of limestone and Titian’s Portrait of a Gentleman (1561). There are also late-medieval and Renaissance paintings by Giovanni Dal Ponte, Biagio D'Antonio, Sandro Botticelli and Workshop, Bernardino Luimi, Francesco Ubertini, and Master of View of Saint Gudule.

The Cone Collection was the work of the Cone sisters, Claribel and Etta Cone, who in the early 20th century set out to acquire as much as they could of the work of artists such as Matisse and Picasso especially, and also Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Renoir among other major artists of the era.

The BMA's Contemporary Wing was built and opened in 1994, closed in January 2011 for renovations, and reopened in November 2012 with state-of-the-art lighting and new wall and floor finishes; a gallery dedicated to light, sound, and moving image-based art; a dedicated gallery for prints, drawings and photographs; and BMA Go Mobile, a brand new mobile website guide for the Contemporary Wing.